JOROTO MD85 Weight Bench Review: Storage, Pulling Arm and 450kg Rating

The JOROTO MD85 is an adjustable weight bench with a storage compartment in the base and a pulling arm bolted on, and it costs £218.49 (3 October 2026). That's roughly double what a plain adjustable bench costs, so the question is whether the extras earn their keep. For a small home gym where clutter is the real problem, we think they mostly do.

We rate it 4.0 out of 5. The 7-position backrest, 3-angle foot hook and 50mm padding cover the pressing and rowing basics properly, and the storage is a genuinely useful idea. What holds it back is the pulling arm: JOROTO doesn't explain clearly how its resistance works, there's no decline, and the 1 year parts cover is short.

Who it is for

Buy the MD85 if you train with dumbbells in a spare room or garage and your plates, collars and bands currently live on the floor. A bench that holds its own clutter frees up space and removes something to trip over between sets. It also suits people who want a bit of pulling work without buying a separate cable tower, provided you accept the arm is an add-on rather than a full cable station.

It's a sensible pick for beginners and intermediates doing dumbbell bench press, incline dumbbell press, seated shoulder presses and single-arm rows. The 90 degree upright setting gives you a proper seat for overhead work, which cheaper benches sometimes stop short of.

Skip it if you want decline pressing, or if all you need is a solid flat-to-incline bench for heavy barbell work in a rack. A plain bench from our best weight bench UK guide does that job for less money and with fewer moving parts.

Check the JOROTO MD85 price on Amazon£218.49

Backrest, seat and foot hook

The backrest runs through 7 positions between 0 and 90 degrees. That range covers what most people actually use: flat for pressing and rows, a low incline for upper chest work, and upright for shoulder presses. Bench angle does change which muscles do the work. A 2020 study of 30 trained adults found upper chest activity peaked at a 30 degree incline, while angles above 45 degrees shifted the load towards the front of the shoulder and reduced chest output. JOROTO doesn't publish the exact angle of each of the 7 positions, so you'll want to check which notch lands closest to 30 degrees once it's built.

There's no decline. JOROTO's 3-angle foot hook (40, 50 and 90 degrees) is there to pin your legs for core work and to keep you anchored on steep inclines, but it won't turn the bench into an FID. If you want the full flat, incline and decline range, our decline bench press guide explains what you'd be missing; for most home lifters the answer is not much.

The 50mm padding is on the thicker side for this price. Thick, dense foam spreads pressure across your upper back during a press, and that's more comfortable over a long session. The listing doesn't give the pad width, so if you have broad shoulders it's worth asking the seller before ordering.

The pulling arm: useful, but not fully explained

This is the feature that sets the MD85 apart and also the one we're least certain about. JOROTO describes a pulling arm that locks into 9 fixed positions, with pulleys that rotate 180 degrees horizontally so you can direct the line of pull across your body. Resistance comes through a "4-level quick-adjust resistance hook".

What the listing doesn't say is what you hang on that hook. It could be resistance bands, a plate-loading point or something else entirely, and we're not going to guess. Before you buy, look through the product images and the manual on the listing, or use Amazon's question feature to ask the seller directly. That answer decides how far the arm can take you. Bands top out at whatever tension they're rated for, while a plate-loaded setup would scale with the plates you own.

What we can say is that the adjustable arm positions and swivelling pulleys open up chest flies, rows and arm work at different angles while you stay on the bench. Moves like the dumbbell fly and the chest-supported row are the kind of thing the arm is built around. Just don't expect it to replace a proper cable column with a selectorised stack.

Storage, wheels and the 450kg rating

The storage compartment sits in the frame and JOROTO says it holds plates and accessories securely. The listing doesn't give internal dimensions, so we can't tell you how many plates fit or whether large-diameter Olympic discs will go in. For collars, bands, a skipping rope and small change plates, it'll make a difference to a tidy room.

Wheels at one end let you tip the bench and roll it away, and the 4 non-slip levelling feet let you take out a wobble on uneven garage floors. That's a detail cheaper benches skip, and it matters if your concrete isn't flat.

Now the headline number. JOROTO rates the MD85 at 450kg (990lb). That's a static figure: weight sitting still on the bench. When you lower a heavy barbell and drive it back up, the force through the frame spikes above the weight on the bar, so the working load you can safely press is well under 450kg. For dumbbell training and moderate barbell work, the frame has plenty in hand. Don't read the figure as a promise that a 200kg bencher will feel nothing move.

The listed dimensions look small for a bench with an arm attached, so they may reflect the bench body alone or the boxed size. Measure your space with some margin and check the images before you commit.

Training on it

A bench like this covers the upper body pressing that most home programmes rely on. The NHS guidelines for adults recommend strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least two days a week, and a bench with a pair of adjustable dumbbells gets you most of the way there. Start with the flat bench press or its dumbbell version, add an incline press at the 30 degree notch, then use the arm or a dumbbell for rows so your back keeps pace with your chest. If you're brand new, the NHS strength exercises page has simple moves to build from.

How it compares

We haven't reviewed another standalone bench yet, so the closest comparisons are the five picks in our best weight bench UK guide. The YOLEO and FLYBIRD benches there cost much less and add a decline setting the MD85 lacks, with 375kg and 300kg stated capacities. If you only want somewhere to press dumbbells, either is the better value. The Fostoy bench in that guide takes the same "bench plus extras" approach, but its extras are a leg developer and preacher pad rather than a pulling arm and storage. Pick the Fostoy for legs and arms; pick the MD85 for tidiness and some cable-style pulling.

If you want a real cable stack with your bench, you're into multi gym territory. The Marcy MWM-990 gives you a 150lb weight stack with a press arm and lat pulldown, though it takes up far more floor and costs more. The MD85 sits between a plain bench and a multi gym, and it's priced accordingly.

See today's JOROTO MD85 price

Recommended reads

• The best weight benches in the UK
• How to bench press with good form
• Incline dumbbell press guide
• The best adjustable dumbbells in the UK
• Home gym equipment reviews